Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-04-15
GEORGE D. PRENTICE.
THE GENTLE POST EDITOR WHO
ENCOURAGED MEN Or GENIUS.

stormy Journalistic Career tn. Result
- Of His 'au>ti" r-u-N lew Tuur.n,
r iuragrrrh~-sn ,im".i Fatal Quarrel
L III" 'nu War.
/ After leaving rnlrge Prentice studied law
'"r, not meeting With Immediate success he
| iligri lItn journalism lie nas the first ei.
. '', Of tn" "nn' celebrated New England Re
Ir" AM a. wa "n that peri~icai that lie
N"# hl> -..U>
~.'.u alter this Mr Prentice ma> sent Ia
| -.'fu -h' b. a num.'er NJ prominent Whi.S
g.. | 10 -uinrl material for HE oE Henry Clav,
| h"n H!Huf In DEE nominated for the preSi-
| l"urN hll' IN Louisville On this mission
3" was offered the ehtnr~hp "t IA new daily
'aI~''. thrn h'inL established IN opposition tn
u" jackson D,Inncrary He accepted tho
r''>itlUn and WAS for the rrmal:lder Of his
II" closely identified with thu political and
literary hfr uf the south. he resigned the
dlt"fNhip "t tn" Review, Recommending as
Ms SUcchSs"r lnhn g. Whittier. then an rm-
| known poet. who had sent some Of his first
2o.''Ir> in The Review
| i.p"n assuming the editorial control Of The
| i"urua' Prentice at once placed it among the
| most influential papers II the ,iav and nair
he political and literary departments alike
| SHINE with the light nf his talented zen II
| became IN" acknowledged organ of th. Wing
| 1artN IN tn" south and west, and tn the last
| he supporter NJ Henry Clay for president
| Prentice and Harry ot the West" became
| last friends. and Clay was the inSpirer of
come Of the most brilliant editorials which
appeared in The Journal But it is not in
| y'udei here - review the political course ot
tn" Journal under the e,litorShip of Prentice
Enough The life Of the man and the paper are
- ci,>tiS Identified that it is almost imposSi-
b,r - separate them. In its editorials 1t was
sharp ami pointed. sumetim', being almost
cruel IN it, threats hut more ften they were
'Neetened with good hunor.
Here are "a few:
Have / vhangedT exrlai * Governor p
We d"ut know; that del,. d> on whether
you wrr'. yer an honest man.
In" editor nf the --> speaks Of his living
'urlrl up IN he'd the>- ,'"ld mornings" This
voriiir~ what said OF him some time ago:
lie lies ike a dog
The Gloh" >aVs. Mr.. CLAY j. a sharp poll
iclan," No doubt OF it: but the editor of
Tn, Glolr. J. a sharper
M~Sr>. Bell y Topp, Of The Gazette. say
that ''frrutirrS are made :" serve masters
Well. Bells w"r" made 10 H. hung and ToppS
Z" Ia whipped.
Mr.. Prentice made many enemies by the
course Of his paper, and had not a few per
>onal difficulties. nearly all of which he came
out of with grace and honor 10 himself This
was not an easy matter when il is known
that lie was a bitter opponent of the duello
winch wa> at that time popular in the
south. HIS position j. defined in a letter to
one Of his ChaIlenSers: Il am no believer in
the due.ng coi,. | would not call a man to
the field unless he had done me such deadly
wrong that desired to kill him. and would
not obey hiS call 10 the field unless had done
him - mortal an injury 10 entitle him, in
NY opinion, 10 demand an opportunity of
taking NV hfr."
One Of his quarrelS came near being fatal to
the poet. however. An editor named Trotter
became inr"nsed AZ some Of The Journals
personal allu~ionS, fired at Prentice on the
street and wounded him IN the breast
Though severely wounded. the poet grappled
with his would he murderer, and, after a
fierce struggle. succeeded in throwing him to
be- ground. \ knife was given him by one
Of his friends. and the crowd which had
gathered. seeing the blood which was flowing
from the wound in Prentice's breast shouted:
Hi him, XII him. But the gentle poet
released the subduei Trotter with the chv-
tiruu> remark: Il cannot Kill disarmed and
helpless man"
\ volume of the cpigraInmatical paragraphs !
which gave Prentice so mach trouble were !
objected during his lifetime under the title of /
'Prent.ceana," and though many ef them
lavc lost their point lv the lapse of time. one |
-,adinG them can hardly wonder that the au
hor got into frequent trouble with the hot .
DIuude'i men nj whom they We're aimed.
Though The Journal WIS to great extent .
/, political paper, its literary department was
% many it, greatest charm. The gifted edi- /
'r gave his especial attention to it, aud in
h- midst of "a great political crisis he would /
ind time 10 contribute TO it himself and to
--ad and criticise personally the numerous
1Oaticai efflI-ons which were submitted to
Iim MANY a well known American author
IIs somewhere among his papers letter
rom the kindly poet editor encouraging him
with adv ice. He praised without stint il it
vas deserved, but he was quick TO see when
he poetic git was lacking. and he would
hen hr the first TO tell the asIriran. Of his
ack- His name is associated with the first
IrtemptS of many Of the most successful and
III i'Tl Nilt'iN 'I lLc uaN among lhe con E
10 The Journal when they were Vet
Unknown III the world Of letters, were John
= Whittier. John Howard Payne. James
FREEMAN CLARK. Mrs. SigOurney, Alice and
'hu.he Cary, William Dean HowelS. William
Y yullaca Harney and Forceythe Wilson. The
after was one of the most remarkable of
'he Journals contributors, and was the
avorit@ protrge OF Prentice. He resembled
'"e in the eccentricitv and weird imagery Of
IL composition. and he had that subtle and
ielicate genius which the poet editor liked so
much 10 encourage and had in 50 great
legre. himself
Several wears before the civil war Mr..
Prentice made some reputation a lecturer,
10Th IN northern and southern cities. He
COX gloomy outlook. and predicted that
Iule-Ss some statesman aru>e equal 10 the or-
,asiun thcre would be no resort left hut War
{ Lincoln W. elected. He lanlented the
leath # Henry Clay at this crisis. and in re-
rrllu- to 1t said: 'UlysS..s has gone upon
as uandcringS and there il none left IN all
tiia,7t I" bend his how
H., supported Bell and Everett, and when
hey wcrr defeated he had no alternative but
u support the successful candIdute. Great
influence was brought 10 bear On him 10y the
ngtherl leaders IL get him to support seces-
juG hut he remained steadfaSt. He thought
t hi duty, aud, 10 his great soai, that was
muu-u. II wa, the Ervate~t trouble of his
ltr, 4ml ilo doubt ii FASTENED his death. De
rOt Free. Press.
Didn't Hurt II Much.
At Governor Ross inaugural ball at Aus
in a legislator from eastern Texas was very
iugl l.rwi. tered. aS lie hai never attended
luv similar scene Of feastInE. In his cOnfu-